The L.A. tech scene is booming despite an ongoing pandemic and a string of natural disasters. In terms of VC deal activity, the $8.5 billion of Q2 investment puts Los Angeles-Long Beach, behind only the Bay Area ($26.7 billion) and New York City ($12.6 billion). Explore the full list of Q2 deals from Pitchbook.
🏠 Apple says it is committing more than $1 billion to address California's affordable housing crisis.
🤷 Not just in California, but full-time minimum wage workers can't afford rent anywhere in America.
📊 Tech job postings increased in the first and second quarter of 2021, but not in all metro areas.
👤 Facebook is investing $1 billion to lure content creators. Will it work?
👀 TikTok has become the first non-Facebook app to reach 3 billion downloads on iOS and Android.
⚡️ California's new state budget now includes more than $3.5 billion for zero-emission vehicles and infrastructure.
👋 Goodbye, Twitter Fleets. We hardly even knew you.
These Are The Biggest SoCal VC Deals So Far This Year
Rocket makers, sneaker sellers and fusion power creators were among those that dominated the list of L.A. venture deals for the first half of 2021. Explore the list of some of the biggest deals in Southern California in the first half of 2021.
Two SoCal Biotech Startups Make An Exit
Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly plucked up Pasadena startup Protomer Technologies, and El Segundo-based startup Integrity Bio is getting acquired by Curia, formerly known as AMRI.
What to Watch When Jeff Bezos Blasts Off Into Space
On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, space journalist Alan Boyle talks about the dawn of a new era in space tourism, what to watch when Amazon founder Jeff Bezos blasts off next week and what's next for commercial space exploration.
Call It The First-Ever TikTok Olympics
Nine Olympians have launched a sports league backed by Mark Cuban that competes on social media. The first of eight World 1 League challenges began Wednesday with athletes competing for $25,000 and sponsorships.
JOON Believes Workers Want More Benefit Flexibility
JOON, an employee benefits software platform, raised $2.3 million in seed funding. Investors bet that the hybrid workforce of the future will benefit from such a software platform.